Fire alarm devices such as audible horns (audible/visible or A/V), loudspeakers (speaker/visible or S/V) and visible strobes (visible only or V/O), are referred to as “notification appliances.” Some notification appliances include addresses so that a fire alarm control panel (FACP) may send a command, with the address, to a specific notification appliance.
One way to set the address of the notification appliances is by using DIP switches. A DIP switch is a set of manual electric switches that are packaged in a group in a standard dual in-line package (DIP). This type of switch is designed to be used on a printed circuit board along with other electronic components and is commonly used to customize the behavior of an electronic device for specific situations, such as assigning the address. Each DIP switch typically has an “on” position and an “off” position. This allows the operator to set each DIP switch to select a one-bit binary value. The values of some or all switches in the DIP package can also be interpreted as one number. For example, seven switches offer 128 combinations. However, since the DIP switch sets the address in binary numbers, it can be difficult for field installation personnel to properly translate a number in base 10 to a number in base 2 in order to set the address properly.
Another way to set the address is by using standard rotary switches or slide switches. However, the use of either rotary or slide switches limits the set of addresses to just a few number of variations. And, the rotary or slide switches take up considerable space, especially if two or more are needed. Accordingly, a need exists to more easily set the address (or other parameters) in the notification appliance.